Brendan Rodgers has urged Celtic fans to get realistic over the club's European ambitions.

Scotland's champions reached their last UEFA final when they lost to Jose Mourinho's Porto in Seville in 2003.

However, speaking before the first leg of a daunting Europa League last-32 clash with Zenit St Petersburg, Rodgers fears the rapidly changing financial climate of European football could render hopes of another Seville season unlikely.

Brendan Rodgers has told Celtic fans to rein in their hopes for European glory this season

'There are two factors,' said the Northern Irishman. 'The game has changed and Celtic have changed.

'Look back at the players Celtic had then. Celtic were taking some of the best players from the English Premier League.

'They were bringing Chris Sutton up here, John Hartson up here, Lenny (Neil Lennon) up here.

'They were bringing Paul Lambert back from Dortmund. These are top, top players.

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'So the financial climate is totally different now to what it was back then for Celtic.

'There will be always be expectation here. We always want to fight and, like our predecessors, try to do the very best that we can.

'But when you compare it to that, football and Celtic have changed a lot.'

The Parkhead club regularly featured amongst the top five highest wage bills in British football during the Martin O'Neill era.

Rodgers believes any hopes of replicating their run to the UEFA Cup final in 2003 are unlikely

'It would have to have been,' added Rodgers 'You're taking John Harton, Sutty and these boys. Sutty came from Chelsea.'

Celtic announced healthy interim financial results last week.

Figures to 31 December showed an increase in revenue of 16.8 per cent to £71.5million, and an increase in pre-tax profit from £18.6m to £19.5m - reflecting the value of Champions League football.

Addressing the idea that it ought to be helping Celtic compete in Europe, however, Rodgers argued: 'Come on. The point is that the club is run very, very well.

'You can spend the money - but it's the players coming to Scotland which is the big factor.

'It's wages, it's astroturf pitches and all this. There are multiple reasons why a player would or wouldn't come.

'What the balance sheet shows is that the club, the institution, is being run very, very well. They spend money but they have to run it sensibly. I don't think it will ever go back to what it was 15 years ago.'

Tonight's opponents spent around £80m in the summer, playmaker Leandro Paredes their biggest buy at £20m from Roma.

Asked if Roberto Mancini's side should be regarded as favourites to reach the last 16 Rodgers, answered: 'Yes. I never say that lightly.

Rodgers faces Roberto Mancini's Zenit St Petersburg in the last 32 of the Europa League

'I always think that we are Celtic.... but I have always been realistic.

'I think that I have always been a realist and when you look at their (Zenit's) investment and the level of players they have they will expect to go through.

'We have to find a way and we will see if we can get a result.'

Other potential opponents in the last 32 included Salzburg, Villarreal, Braga, Atalanta and Viktoria Plzen.

Addressing the view that Zenit were a harder draw than Celtic might have landed, Rodgers said: 'Listen, I think you get to the last 32 and they are always going to be tough games.

'There are teams that are winning their group stages and qualification for the Europa League.

'There are teams coming out of Champions League and they are always going to be tough games.'